Shawn, just so you know I am not upset or annoyed or mad about your comment in my hands photo. I appreciate your cc, I just didn't agree with it. ;-) I posted back to both you and Brian in the comments section.

And I would be emailing this to you except that Flickr won't let me right now.

All - don't be afraid to give constructive criticism. I worry that people are afraid to say how they feel work can be improved or other alternatives. I'd be much happier getting one comment why they liked (or didn't like, or could be better if) than 20 Wow!s.

Well may 20 Wows would be cool. But anyways, I do take comments to heart but don't feel too bound by them. We all should. Tell me uncle mark is too back lit. And ask what I was thinking posting that mans big belly on the internet. Go ahead.

Ted, yes. I am afraid now that people won't want to give me CC because of the responses to that pictures, but I do want everyone to. I have always been glad to take CC from all of you, I just didn't agree with Shawn's this one time and said so. Not a big deal either way.

I do agree with both you and Brian's suggestion that I should work on the composition and what not. Like Brian said, it doesn't have the "wow!" factor just yet and I want it to.

Ted, I will continue to give you the CC that you ask for. I will also do the same for Shana and occasionally for a few others that I know want it and can handle it.

The problem with giving Constructive Criticism on flickr is that allot of people can't handle it and it crushes their confidence. Some just put up pics to put up pics for the sake of sharing their memories and events and don't care if they ever become a better photog. They aren't hear for that and that is totally fine. Where as some people thrive on it and take that advice, put it into practice and it helps them become a better photographer.

If people hadn't ripped my images, I wouldn't have learned how to focus properly and I wouldn't have learned how to compose better or look for obstructions in the background, how to tell the difference between ISO settings, aperture ahd shutter speeds, good light, bad light, etc.... Hell, when I first started a couple years ago I wouldn't go shooting unless the sun was out in the mid day because I thought "this is when you take photos, in the bright sunny light"

It's all those little things that add up and make a big difference. I would not be the photographer I am today if I hadn't set my pride aside and took the criticism to heart.

I still have a long way to go, but as long as people want to tell me why they don't like what I shot and are willing to tell me what they would have done and how they would have done it, to make it better in their eyes, I will continue to learn and grow as a photographer.